† a. Measurement of land (obs.). b. Any of the denominations of measurement used in stating the area of land (e.g., the acre, the rood, etc.); also applied as a name for the system of such denominations in current use.
1611. Cotgr., Latte … a Land-measure … in some places longer then in other.
1662. G. Atwell, Faithfull Serveyour, i. 1. Of errours in Land-measure.
1857. Boucher, Mensuration, 5. Land Measure by Gunter’s Chain. 100 linear links = 1 linear chain.
1900. Addy in N. & Q., 20 Oct., 303/1. (heading) English and Roman Land Measures.
So Land-measuring, -measurement, the art or process of determining by measurement the area of lands, fields, farms, etc.: properly a subordinate branch of land-surveying, but the terms are often used synonymously.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., 14. Other Philosophers, writing Rules for land measuring.
1849. Chambers’ Inform., II. 624/1. The principle of throwing the area of any given field or set of fields into triangular spaces, is that pursued in all processes of land-measurement. Ibid., 624/2. In land-measuring, the scale of operations is ordinarily too limited to require any such allowance for difference of levels.
